Images can be generated in several ways. For example, an image can be captured using a film-based or digital camera and/or created and edited using image processing software such as ADOBE PHOTOSHOP® or the GNU IMAGE MANIPULATION PROGRAM (“GIMP”). Images captured using a film-based camera typically are stored as film negatives. Images captured using a digital camera typically are stored as digital files residing in the memory of the digital camera and/or a storage medium to which the file has been transferred (for example, a hard drive or CDROM). Images created using image processing software are typically stored as a digital file residing on a computer readable medium such as a hard drive.
An image-based product can be generated from such stored images. As used here, the term “image-based product” refers to an item, regardless of medium, that includes a visual representation of at least a portion of one or more images. One example of an image-based product is an image print (also commonly referred to as a “photograph”). For example, a user can take a picture using a conventional film-based camera and then bring the exposed film to a photo-finishing laboratory to have the laboratory develop the exposed film and generate an image print.
In addition to a visual representation of at least a portion of one or more images, an image-based product can include other components. One conventional type of image-based product is created by mounting an image print in a frame. For example a user can physically take an image print to a frame shop (i.e., to a “brick-and-mortar” frame shop) in order to select a frame (and other components such as a mat) in which to mount the image print. Such a user typically can seek assistance in selecting such components from an employee of the frame shop (referred to here as a “frame shop assistant”). The frame shop assistant can inspect the user's image print and select a mat and frame the assistant believes will look good with the image print. The user can then physically place the image print in or near the selected mat and frame in order to get an idea of how the image print would look mounted with the selected mat and frame. In this way, a user who has little training and experience in selecting an appropriate mat and frame can have a trained and experienced frame shop assistant select a mat and frame for the image print.
When a customer wishes to have a high-quality image print generated from a digital image, the customer need not physically take the digital image to a photo-finishing laboratory and instead can electronically transmit the digital image to an “online” photo-finishing laboratory using a computer network such as the Internet. For example, the customer can use an Internet browser program (referred to herein as a “browser”) such as NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR®, which is commercially available from Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, Calif., USA. The customer can direct the browser to a web site associated with the online photo-finishing laboratory and upload the digital image to a server hosting the web site. The online photo-finishing laboratory can then take the digital image from the web server and produce a high-quality image print from the digital image in a conventional manner. The online photo-finishing laboratory then typically sends the high-quality image print to the customer using a delivery service such as the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE or FEDERAL EXPRESS®.